June 9, 1982

By ROB KERBY
Of the World Staff

ADAIR - The little girl in the FreeWheel '82 T-shirt grinned sweetly as she clutched her handlebars Tuesday.

But there was a devilish gleam in 11-year-old Elizabeth Henderson's eye.

She sipped a cherry drink at one of the scores of lemonade stands that continue to pop up on the Tulsa World's week-long family bicycle ramble across Oklahoma

"Have you seen my brother?" she asked.

Assured that Andy, 13, was miles behind, she giggled. Yes, she was racing her brother on the fourth annual 500-mile trek.

But yes, she was also stopping at all the lemonade stands.

"He's hungry all the time,"she confided - sure that he, too, would be unable to resist any offered goodies.

At the day's two largest stands, civic groups ran out of supplies before all of FreeWheel's hungry hordes were fed. All week, riders have cleaned out dairy bars and small cafes forcing them to apologize and close.

At Ramona, the Ladies Home Extension Club served eggs, sausage, gravy, biscuits, juice and coffee for $2.95. At midmorning, members ceased fixing eggs, saying every egg in town has been served. Club coordinator Mrs. Katherine Ford told one FreeWheel mechanic that the club had done more business in one morning than ever before in its history.

In Foyil, the women of the First Methodist Church spent all afternoon fixing sandwiches, salads and deserts as riders continued to stream through town.

"Do you want to make up some cookies?" coordinator Mrs. Myrtle Isaacs asked a surprised FreeWheel official. "We're just about out and they're still coming in."

Some riders lingered at a swimming area at Oologah Lake for hours. Others careened down a nearby water slide before returning to the day's hot, hilly route. Some did not bother wandering into the campgrounds until near dusk.

The sleepy farm town of Adair bolted awake Tuesday afternoon as riders poured in, doubling the population, depleting local larders, and looking forward to a much-heralded country music jamboree.

After months of getting ready for Adair's night to host FreeWheel, Chamber of Commerce President Van Poplin spent eight hours standing at the entrance to the high school football stadium personally greeting each rider.

Senior citizens served snacks on main street. Boy Scouts and Rainbow girls hawked various treats.

FreeWheel '82: the Cherokee Trip is sponsored by the Tulsa World the Bartlesville Pedalers, The Tulsa Wheelmen and the Tulsa Bicycle Club. It is a Diamond Jubilee Event, celebrating Oklahoma's 75th anniversary of statehood.

Tuesday night, ladies from the Adair Christian Church served homemade spaghetti with all the fixins while pastor Joel Rutherford and Van Poplin nervously counted heads and alerted cooks that more sauce had better be mixed quick.

Adair has only two small restaurants - not nearly enough to feed FreeWheel's hungry hordes.

At the evening's concert the master of ceremonies, Chelsea's Clem McSpadden, cracked jokes between sets. Country artists picked and grinned. And Adair Boy Scouts - who had spent the morning unloading FreeWheel's big Facet Enterprises baggage truck - kept shoveling in the money.

They are hopping proceeds will help them fix up an old school bus they intend to take to summer camp.

Wednesday morning, the scouts will get in a final shot, serving breakfast at two locations.

Since Adair also has no motels, several riders took advantage of invitations to give up a night in their sleeping bags on the hard ground to stay in private homes.

Wednesday, FreeWheel hits hills - and the day's length drops to 45 miles as a direct result.

A consolation:

In the unfenced woods, the road comes right up to at least four nice beaches on Grand Lake o' the Cherokees.

"Don't push," advises the map.

"Walk and enjoy. Go swimming, wading, flower-picking..."

and if 45 miles of incredible hills aren't enough for riders, the map-makers have provided an extra 76-mile loop to South West City, MO, and Maysville, Ark.

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